Life Update

Never in a million years did I think I’d be doing a timeline of my own, but here it is.

August 2020 – I had my first mammogram. Two days after I had it done, Simon Med called and said I needed to come in and have another one done. I went in a couple of days later and they did a mammogram on my right breast. The tech had me wait a few minutes so the radiologist could look at it before sending me home. When the tech came to see me, she told me the radiologist saw something and I had to stay for an ultrasound. I was terrified as I waited alone. Convinced I had breast cancer, I started googling oncologists near me. The ultrasound seemed to take forever, but I’m sure it was only a few minutes. After the ultrasound, someone came to talk to me and said I have a very small cyst that was nothing to worry about. She said since this was my first mammogram, they wanted to do an ultrasound to be sure it was only that, which it thankfully was.

August 2021 – I had my yearly mammogram at Simon Med. I received a letter from them a week later saying everything looked good.

August 24, 2022 – Our insurance company is no longer contracted with Simon Med so I had a mammogram at SDMI on August 24, 2022. About a week later, I became incredibly sick with a sinus infection that went from viral to bacterial and an ear infection. Once I started to feel better, I was hit with another cold/sinus thing which turned into bronchitis. I was sick from August 31 until around Christmas. In the midst of this, I received a letter from SDMI stating I needed to return for another mammogram. I remember reading it and thinking they saw the cyst in my right breast. I put the letter away in my desk drawer, meaning to call them soon. If there was anything truly wrong, they would call me like Simon Med did, right? If not, surely my doctor would call, right? Wrong.

December 4, 20022 – I was finally starting to feel better from all of the sickness I had endured for the past 3 months. I was cleaning out my desk and found the letter from SDMI. I called them to tell them about the cyst in my right breast. The guy on the phone said they need a mammogram of my left breast because I had calcifications in it. My stomach dropped and I panicked. The soonest I could be seen was next month. I googled breast calcifications and cancer and kept this news to myself. It was the holidays and I didn’t want to worry anyone for no reason. Plus, Jake was coming home and I didn’t want his trip to be spent worrying. I told Mike the night before the mammogram and he freaked out. He was pissed that I hadn’t told anyone. He convinced me to tell the kids, my mom, and my sisters that night. He took the day off and went with me to the mammogram.

January 6, 2023 – I had the mammogram at SDMI at 9:00. The lady doing my mammogram was putting my info in the computer and asked me why it took me 4 months to come back. I apologized and told her I had been very sick for the last few months and assumed it was about the cyst in my right breast. She was very unfriendly and the mammogram was more unpleasant than usual. After it was done, she told me to wait until the radiologist viewed it before getting dressed. I asked when I would get the results and she said in about 7-10 days. I waited in the waiting room for about 10 minutes and googled breakfast places near me. The lady came out and said I could get dressed and that they were expediting the results and I would hear something no later than Tuesday, January 10. Mike and I left and went to a new place that I found on Yelp. Unfortunately, it was in the middle of a trailer park and Mike was not a good sport about it so we ended up going to Cracker Barrel instead.

January 9, 2023 – I called SDMI to see if my mammogram results were in. They said yes and they were sent to my doctor about 10 minutes ago. The lady asked if I wanted to have the results emailed to me. I said yes and gave her my work email so I could read them right away. The email took forever to come through so I called my doctor’s office. The receptionist said they received my results and emailed them to me. She said to call back if I had any questions. I felt instant relief. I assumed the results said everything was fine. Wrong again. The results said there were microcalcifications with irregular margins and a stereotactic biopsy was recommended. What in the literal hell does any of that mean?!?! I called my doctor’s office and said I had tons of questions starting with what a stereotactic biopsy is and why would they email me instead of calling me. The girl on the phone apologized and said the nurse would be calling me back to explain the next steps. Later on, the nurse called and said that I needed a stereotactic biopsy which was a less invasive procedure. She said the order had been sent to SDMI. I called SDMI after work and the soonest appointment they had available was February 6. They only have one facility in Las Vegas that does the stereotactic biopsy and that’s why it takes so long to get in. They said I could call every day, twice a day to see if they had any cancellations so I could be seen earlier. That is exactly what we did. Mackenzie and I tag-teamed this task. I called every morning and she called every afternoon. I called my insurance company to see if I could go anywhere else to have the biopsy done. They said SDMI was the only place they would cover and if I went somewhere else, I would have to pay out of pocket.

The mental, emotional, and physical toll this has taken on my body is no joke! I am exhausted in every way possible. My Hashimoto’s has flared up fiercely. I am scared my story will end like my dad’s. He was diagnosed with cancer too late and passed away before he could even begin chemo. I watched the medical system give him the run around over and over. I don’t want this to happen to me too. I’m so worried about what this is doing to my kids. I have been in their spot and know how scary this is. I’m worried about Mike. He hasn’t said much, but I can see and hear how scared he is. I’m worried about my mom and sisters. We still haven’t recovered from losing my dad and might be starting this journey all over again.

January 23, 2023 – I made my routine 8:15 AM call to SDMI and they had a cancellation for February 2. I scheduled the appointment and let my principal know I would be out for two days.  A couple of days later, I find out that an extremely difficult student was going to be moved from another class into mine on the week of the biopsy. He started with me on Tuesday and has completely wreaked havoc on my classroom and students. I don’t know how much more stress I can take.

February 2, 2023 – It sounds dumb, but I was sad to miss Groundhog Day with my class. My mom and Mackenzie took me to SDMI at 8:30. I was given a mild sedative and went into a mammogram waiting room to change and fill out some paperwork before the sedative kicked in. The tech was so nice and explained that she would be with me the entire time and wanted to walk me through the procedure before it began. She took me into the room where the stereotactic biopsy would take place. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but I was not expecting it to look like a surgical room. There were bright lights and a table in the middle of the room. The table had a hold in it. The tech explained that I would lay on my stomach with my breast through the hole. The table would be raised so the doctor could perform the biopsy. She explained that I would be injected with lidocaine to numb the area. Once numb, she said a small incision would be made and a tube-like tool would be inserted to retrieve the cells needed, and a titanium clip the size of an eyelash would be placed to show the exact location of the biopsy for future scans. She took me to the waiting room until the sedative had taken effect. I felt light-headed and very sleepy. The tech walked me back into the biopsy room and everything went as she has explained. The doctor was very nice and explained everything as he did it. I felt some tugging and pressure and didn’t feel any pain until the very end. The doctor said we were at the very end. He said I would hear a series of clicks. I heard three clicks and felt nothing. On the fourth click, I felt an indescribable pain and jumped. He said he needed to do it again because I moved and offered more lidocaine. I declined the lidocaine and promised to hold still. The tech stood next to me and pressed down on my back to help keep me still. I held my breath as he clicked again. The pain was just as much fun the second time around, but I didn’t move. The doctor left and the tech put some type of clamp on my breast to stop the bleeding. After a few minutes, she lowered the table and had me roll over to my back. She cleaned up my breast and put some bandages on. She had me sit up and put an ice pack in my bra and gave me another one to take home. After about 30 minutes, she took me in for a light-pressure mammogram to ensure the clip was placed correctly. She said I had to use the ice pack for at least an hour.  She gave me care instructions for the next few days. I was instructed to sleep with a bra on for about a week. I can’t raise my left arm for a few days. I can’t lift anything for 10-14 days. I can’t shower or get the area wet for 3 days. I can’t take pain relievers other than Tylenol for at least a week. She said to call my doctor to schedule an appointment so they can go over the results with me.

February 3, 2023 – I called and left two messages with my doctor to schedule an appointment. I’m not too sore today. I spent most of the day texting my sub to make sure she was doing okay.

February 4, 2023 – I went to my sister’s mother-in-law’s 70^th birthday party. It felt good to get dressed and out of the house. I was very sore that night and went to bed in pain.

February 6, 2023 – My doctor’s office called and said to come in on Thursday for the results. I have a gut feeling that it is cancer.

February 9, 2023 – Mike and Mackenzie went with me to my doctor to get the results of the biopsy. We were taken to a room and as soon as she closed the door, she made a face I couldn’t read. She was holding the file and said that the results were inconclusive! She said that the report showed that the cells have changed but they need a deeper sample. She said I need to have another biopsy done as soon as possible. She said they have already sent the order to SDMI with a “STAT” label. We left the office frustrated. Mackenzie was very quiet. Mike has it in his head that if he doesn’t hear the word “cancer” from the doctor’s mouth then I don’t have it. We went to breakfast and home. When we got home, Mike and Mackenzie both took naps. I googled cancer-fighting homeopathic treatments to begin until I can be sure. I ordered some Turkey Tail capsules from Amazon to start taking them. I called SDMI to schedule the 2^nd biopsy and they said they don’t have any appointments available until March 22^nd which is 6 weeks away. Even though the orders are marked STAT, that doesn’t change the fact that other people need this same procedure.

February 11, 2023 – I messaged my doctor in the patient portal to let her know when my next biopsy was. I wrote that I was nervous to wait six weeks and asked for suggestions. She wrote back and said my concern is legitimate but the good news is that breast cancer is considered slow growing. She offered to send my referral to Simon Med to see if they could get me in sooner.

February 13, 2023 – I decided to see where else I could have this done and pay cash instead of waiting 6 weeks. My doctor sent the order to Simon Med. The rep from Simon Med quoted a cash price of around $720 for the biopsy. I spoke to SIMON Med on the phone and they said they couldn’t schedule anything until they had the reports and scans from SDMI. I asked what the quickest way to get that done was. They said the quickest way would be for me to personally go to SDMI, pick up the cd and report and take them to Simon Med. Mackenzie and I went to SDMI, got the cd and report, and drove it across town to Simon Med. The lady at Simon Med said someone would call me to schedule by the end of the week.

February 14, 2023 – I was reminded how much I love teaching kindergarten when a student gave me a half-eaten container of Lofthouse cookies! She was so genuine and was so happy to give them to me!

February 15, 2023 – My doctor’s office called me and said that Simon Med just called them and said the report from SDMI showed the WRONG breast was biopsied! The report from SDMI stated that my right breast was biopsied. I now have a personal case manager from Simon Med. She called me and said they were waiting on SDMI to correct the report and resubmit it before I can be scheduled. About two hours later, the rep from Simon Med called me back and said that SDMI fixed the report and I could now be scheduled. She was able to schedule me for next week, February 22^nd! A whole month earlier than SDMI. She scheduled me for a Wednesday afternoon and said I would need to take the rest of the week off. She said since I wouldn’t be fully healed from the first biopsy, this recovery time would be longer.

February 20, 2023 – Mackenzie and I were off for President’s Day and were out running errands. My doctor called and asked if I had a minute. That’s never a good way to start a conversation, so I pulled into the nearest parking lot. She said that Quest Diagnostics did a deeper sample of the biopsy from SDMI and it shows concern for cancer because of the cell changes. She said it was up to me if I still wanted to go to Simon Med in two days for an additional biopsy. I said yes, I did just to be sure. She emailed me the report from Quest to give to Simon Med. She said she wants to see me on March 1^st and in the meantime will set me up with an oncologist and breast surgeon so they can create a treatment plan right away. I thanked her and hung up. I felt terrible for Mackenzie who was sobbing in the passenger seat.

February 21, 2023 – at 5:00 PM, my doctor’s office called and said they set me up with a breast surgeon at Desert West Surgery. They were having trouble finding an oncologist who accepted my insurance and asked if I could call the insurance company and get a list of in-network oncologists.

February 22, 2023 – I called my insurance company and they sent me a list of oncologists. As I scanned the list, the first name that stood out was Dr. Wierman, the oncologist who treated my dad when he was in the hospital. I definitely want my experience to be different from his so I started reading reviews on all of the oncologists on the list. The reviews for every single one were mixed. I decided to go with Dr. Stephani Christensen at the Comprehensive Cancer Center in Henderson. I called her office and verified that they do indeed work with my insurance. I sent Dr. Christensen’s number to my general doctor so they could send the referral. My biopsy isn’t until later in the afternoon, so I treated myself to a new bra from Lane Bryant. I will need to sleep in it for at least a week after this biopsy.

The cash price for this biopsy was $880. This biopsy went very similar to the last one. I arrived at 1:15 and was taken back at 2:00. The doctor went in through a different area, took the sample, and placed a new clip and that was it. While I was waiting, the mammogram technician went over my scans with me and explained where the microcalcifications were, and pointed out the two clips. It was nice to have this explained. While I was waiting for my post-op mammogram, the technician said I looked pale and asked if I had eaten anything today. The only thing I had eaten was some egg bites from Starbucks earlier this morning. She gave me a bag with a rice Krispie treat and some candy and said I should eat it. I didn’t realize how hungry I was until I took the first bite of one of the mini candy bars. After we left, Mom, Mackenzie, and I went to Blueberry Hill for an early dinner.

The next few days were spent lounging and catching up on Netflix.

February 27, 2023 – I called Comprehensive Cancer Center to see if they had received the referral from Dr. Lin. They said no and also informed me that I am already listed as a patient of Dr. Kashef at a different Comprehensive Cancer Center location. The receptionist at Dr. Christensen’s location told me that Dr. Christensen would not be able to see me until Dr. Kashef signed a transfer of care form. This news threw me for a loop. I called Dr. Kashef’s office and they said I was seen in December 2020 for an iron transfusion, which is true. I requested the transfer of care and his receptionist said he would not be in until tomorrow so it would be done by 3/1/23. If Dr. Christensen decided to take me on as a patient, I would be notified by the end of the week.

March 1, 2023 – Mike, Mackenzie and I went in for the results of the 2^nd biopsy. The appointment started out with a student doctor. She was sent in by herself to give me the results. She told us that it didn’t look like cancer and it was just a cyst. Mike was instantly relieved. Mackenzie and I were skeptical. Then, Dr. Lin came in and said they don’t have the pathology report from Quest on the biopsy from Simon Med. They only have the written report from Simon Med explaining the procedure, not the findings. She reconfirmed that the deeper sample taken from the first biopsy on 2/2 caused concern for cancer and that I need to see an oncologist. She also said that since Quest did a deeper dive into the sample from 2/2 that I didn’t really need the second biopsy. Then she said that it was probably a good thing that I got the second biopsy because they biopsied a different calcification. At this point, my head was spinning. Mackenzie was crying. Mike kept asking why nobody called us and was in complete disbelief at the incompetency. I asked her point blank “Is it cancer?” She replied, “The oncologist will be able to tell you after she reads the pathology report”. She said that calcifications are common, but the microcalcifications I have are rare. I asked why nothing showed up on my bloodwork from November 22 and she said that bloodwork isn’t a good indicator and that mammograms are better at detecting it. We left her office confused, upset and pissed off. We went straight to the Comprehensive Cancer Center where Dr. Christensen was with the referral in hand. They processed the referral and said they received the transfer of care from Dr. Kashef, but they could not schedule an appointment until they receive the most recent pathology report from Quest. I was able to pull up my records from Quest through the patient portal and the results were not in. Dr. Christensen’s office called Quest and they were told it could take 10 days for the report to be ready. They said to call them in two days to see if they have received the report. They told me to keep my appointment with the surgeon and take the Quest report with me. No one will say the damn word. Needless to say, I think it’s time to find a new primary care doctor. This has been so frustrating and gut-wrenching. Why wasn’t I called to reschedule my appointment because they didn’t have the results?! Mike and I both took the day off. Why was a student doctor sent in ALONE to give me this type of information?!

March 2, 2023 – I called the Cancer Treatment Center of America (now called City of Hope) in Arizona because it’s where we took my dad when he was being jerked around by the doctors in Las Vegas. I explained my situation and they said they would check to see if they took my insurance. I filled out some paperwork in case I become a patient of theirs. They said they would need to see the newest biopsy results asap.

March 3, 2023 – I still haven’t heard anything and my Quest patient portal does not show my results. At lunch, I called Dr. Lin’s office and they said they received the results yesterday and they were sent to the patient portal. I checked the portal and nothing was there. I called back and the results were uploaded to the portal while I was on the phone.  I was at work and had to get my students from lunch, so my mom (who was volunteering in my class) took over the phone call. She got upset and yelled at the receptionist. I never received a call from Dr. Lin to review the results. I sent the report to the City of Hope along with all of the other reports from the mammogram and first biopsy. The nurse team reviewed it and called and said it looked benign and I would not need to go there. They said I still need to see a surgeon and follow up with the oncologist in Las Vegas. I was instantly relieved! Later I panicked and emailed City of Hope to see if they reviewed all of the reports or just the second biopsy which was taken from a different part of my breast than the first. I dropped off the second biopsy results to the oncologist’s office after work and they said I would hear from them next week, hopefully before my appointment with the surgeon.  I honestly don’t know how to feel about everything.

March 7, 2023 – I met with the breast surgeon today. She started out by asking me what I understood. I explained everything that led up to that point. I told her that Dr. Lin told me that there was a concern for cancer and she was no longer handling my case so she referred me to the breast surgeon and oncologist. The surgeon looked confused and left to get a printout of all of my paperwork. She brought back the papers and went through them one by one, explaining what everything meant. The report for the first biopsy said “deeper sections needed” meaning that SDMI was requesting Quest to do a deeper sample of what they had. Once that was done, they found “no infiltrating cells” which means no cancer. There was never a need for a second biopsy. She said SDMI recommended annual mammograms. If they suspected cancer, they would have suggested seeing an oncologist. She said the findings were marked “rare” because the two sets of calcifications were completely different which isn’t normal but also doesn’t mean cancer. I don’t need to have surgery or do anything with the calcifications. Bottom line: IT’S NOT CANCER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will get my annual mammogram in August and follow up with the surgeon in September to review the results. I’ll also be finding a new primary doctor ASAP!

March 13, 2023 – So many different feelings have surfaced since all of this started. For starters, everything about losing my dad came back up. I am relieved that I don’t have cancer, but at the same time, I have a weird sense of guilt for not having it too. I feel terrible about what this ordeal has put my family through. My Hashimoto’s has shown no mercy over these last few months. I am in a flare-up and feel exhausted. I am inflamed from the inside out. My joints and muscles are on fire. I wonder how long it will take for my body (and brain) to catch up with the good news. I don’t have a gut feeling that anything was missed but am looking forward to my August mammogram to make sure everything is still okay.

What I have learned

I’m trying to view this whole nightmare as a learning experience (maybe it’s the teacher in me lol). I learned that if and when something like this happens again, I have the biggest and strongest support system! Although not too many people knew, the ones who did were supportive and understanding of my wishes to keep this quiet until I had the final outcome. I learned that life is short (I know this is an overused saying), it’s too short to spend time doing things I don’t want to do. I will no longer be attending things I don’t want to attend and making more time for the things I want to do. I learned not to sweat the small stuff and listen to my own heart rather than the opinions of others. I learned to let things go. Every rude remark, off-handed comment, look of disapproval, and mean gesture is nothing more than a minor annoyance. None of these things or people have a hold on me. I learned to stop worrying about things that haven’t happened yet. Life is unpredictable and worrying about it doesn’t make it any more predictable. I learned to live and thrive in the present. I have applied for a dream job and am ready to see what is next for me!